Looking into the lectionary 21 hours ago

Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5; John 5:1-9 “I go down, down, down.” Reflecting on her experience of walking from the concrete deck into the deep end of the pool, my then nearly 2-year-old described wide-eyed what happened earlier that day. Her surprise still evident even hours after she briefly went “down, down, down.” She discovered that she could not, in fact, walk on water in Columbus, Georgia, at a hotel swimming pool. I’d been in the shallow end with her brother, my husband seated nearby, when our little girl, trusting… continue reading...

Outpost Blog 2 days ago

We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine. We can put a man on the moon, but the church still has a food pantry. I recently watched the first season of “Mars” from the National Geographic channel. (No season 2 spoilers please!) It follows a hypothetical mission to Mars in the 2030s while sneaking in some documentary education from actual space exploration up through 2016, and for a sci-fi fan like me, it’s a very bingeworthy show now that it’s on… continue reading...

Book Reviews 2 days ago

Mary Gordon Shambhala Press, 160 pages The renowned novelist Mary Gordon has done what few people can do: say something new about Thomas Merton. She begins by announcing the paradox: A monk vowed to silence produced more words than most writers. Though Merton was dedicated to solitude as a Trappist hermit, nevertheless an international company of seekers, celebrities, writers and activists were drawn to him for guidance. Thus the paradox: solitude gives birth to community — a community that continues 40 years after his death. Silence brought forth the written… continue reading...

Ministering with the Earthby The Presbyterian Outlook January 1, 1998Book Reviews67 viewsBy Mary Elizabeth MooreChalice. 1998. 226 pp. Pb. $19.99. ISBN 0-8272-2323-4 Ministering with the Earth is a quiltwork, both the on-the-ground activity and Moore's book about so ministering. Moore, professor of theology and Christian education at Claremont School of Theology, is fond of the metaphor, suitably pastoral and feminist.

Remembered Voice: Reclaiming the Legacy of 'Neo-Orthodoxy'by The Presbyterian Outlook January 1, 1998Book Reviews65 viewsBy Douglas John HallWJKP. 1998. 145 pp. Pb. $18. ISBN 0-664-25772-0 It was in this order. I first read Tillich's Dynamics of Faith. Riveting. Next came The Courage to Be. Gripping. Then I went back and read the first volume of the Systematic Theology. Things began to make sense. Next came Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. Positive.

General Assembly approves per capita increase as last item of business in St. Louisby Jill Duffield June 23, 2018Outlook Reporting2 commentsST. LOUIS – The 2018 General Assembly voted June 23 to increase the General Assembly per capita rate to $8.95 per member in 2019 and $8.95 per member in 2020.
That’s an increase of just over 15 percent from the 2018 per capita rate of $7.73 per member. The assembly voted 359-43 to approve that.
Some commissioners argued that the increase will harm the ministry of presbyteries if congregations don’t send the full per capita amount and mid councils try to make up the difference – sending the money to the national church at the expense of mid council ministry.
Others argued that this assembly had voted ...

Presbyterian Mission Agency Board issues public statement on ethics investigationby Leslie Scanlon April 16, 2015Outlook Reporting1 commentAfter spending roughly 12 hours meeting in closed session over two days, the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board emerged with a public statement April 16 about how it plans to address an ethics investigation involving four employees connected with an ethics investigation within the 1001 New Worshiping Communities program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A).
Shortly after 7 p.m. on April 16, Marilyn Gamm, the board’s chair, announced in a brief statement the decisions the board had made in its closed sessions. Gamm said that:
The board voted to authorize one of the lawyers it has hired,

Hoey files defamation lawsuit against PC(USA)by Leslie Scanlon June 25, 2015Outlook Reporting1 commentA second defamation lawsuit has been filed against the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) A Corporation – the denomination’s corporate entity – stemming from an ethics investigation involving the 1001 New Worshipping Communities program.
Eric Hoey, who has served as the PC(USA)’s director of Evangelism and Church Growth, filed suit in Jefferson Circuit Court in Kentucky on June 16.
Hoey is the second person involved with the investigation to file a defamation suit. Roger Dermody – who was hired in 2010 as the PC(USA)’s deputy executive director for mission, serving directly under Linda Valentine, executive direct...

With an increased number of state legislatures passing laws to severely curtail access to abortion, the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is compelled to advocate for continuation of safe, legal abortion rights nationwide.
We do so as part of a Reformed theological history that endeavors to discern the activity of God in all the events of life. Our particular part of the Christian tradition seeks to be informed by changing cultural contexts. In the last 50 years, the PCUSA has affirmed our ability to re-form our teachings about women through deliberate theological reflection. Repeatedly, Presbyterians have affirmed that women are created in the image of God, fully endowed with the capacity to make moral decisions. We realize that we must seriously address the realities of women’s lives, including women’s access to reproductive options.
In 1970, our General Assembly declared that “the artificial induced termination of a pregnancy is a … [Read more...]

Acts 16:9-15; Revelation 21:10; 21:22-22:5; John 5:1-9
“I go down, down, down.”
Reflecting on her experience of walking from the concrete deck into the deep end of the pool, my then nearly 2-year-old described wide-eyed what happened earlier that day. Her surprise still evident even hours after she briefly went “down, down, down.” She discovered that she could not, in fact, walk on water in Columbus, Georgia, at a hotel swimming pool. I’d been in the shallow end with her brother, my husband seated nearby, when our little girl, trusting and confident, marched to the edge of the water and kept right on walking. Thankfully, we watched the scene unfold and reacted quickly. I swam to her and went down, down, down after her, plucking her up to the surface as she sputtered and looked more shocked than afraid. Throughout the day and the next she would return to the incident trying to make sense of it. Going down, down, down, unable to do anything other required processing. What she’d … [Read more...]

(RNS) — In 1978, photographer Jim Judkis got a big break.
People magazine asked him to photograph Fred Rogers, the beloved public television host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which was in its 10th year.
When he arrived to see Rogers, Judkis was nervous.
“You suddenly realize you’re in the presence of a known celebrity. I said, ‘Hello, Mister Rogers,’” Judkis said. “He smiled and reached out his hand to shake mine. He said, ‘Please call me Fred.’ It immediately put me at ease. Wow. He’s a normal guy.”Over the next few decades, he photographed Rogers for People, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sunday magazine and Pittsburgh Magazine. Judkis’ most famous photo: an award-winning photograph he took of Rogers smiling as he looks, face-to-face, at a disabled child, who cradles Rogers’ face in his hands.When the show went off the air, Judkis put the negatives of his photos of Rogers into storage and forgot about them.
His photos are now out of storage and on display at the … [Read more...]

(PNS) LOUISVILLE — Thousands of youths from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church are gearing up for five sweaty days of “conversation, recreation, learning, worship and fun” at this year’s 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT) July 16-20 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Since 1980, this “life-changing, life-giving, faith-growing” gathering’s mission has been to “deepen the discipleship awareness” of a generation who is already distinguishing themselves in this church and the world, according to the Triennium website .
One highlight of the 2019 version of the life-changing and faith-growing experience is worship, which takes place every day of Triennium.
Held in Purdue’s historic Elliot Hall of Music, worship at the event is planned by and for the thousands of young people who attend every three years.
“Drawing upon the stories, pathways, adventures and trials that real Presbyterian youth face, each service is crafted … [Read more...]

We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine.
We can put a man on the moon, but the church still has a food pantry.
I recently watched the first season of "Mars" from the National Geographic channel. (No season 2 spoilers please!) It follows a hypothetical mission to Mars in the 2030s while sneaking in some documentary education from actual space exploration up through 2016, and for a sci-fi fan like me, it's a very bingeworthy show now that it's on Netflix.
What most impacted me from watching the show is the passion and imaginative energy that go into the human effort to reach and colonize Mars. It's captivating: the fictional crew are willing to give their lives to live on an inhospitable planet millions of miles from Earth. Their supporters back home do everything in their power to keep the program going despite seemingly overwhelming challenges.
As a Christian, though, seeing the passion and energy that … [Read more...]

Mary Gordon
Shambhala Press, 160 pages
The renowned novelist Mary Gordon has done what few people can do: say something new about Thomas Merton.
She begins by announcing the paradox: A monk vowed to silence produced more words than most writers. Though Merton was dedicated to solitude as a Trappist hermit, nevertheless an international company of seekers, celebrities, writers and activists were drawn to him for guidance. Thus the paradox: solitude gives birth to community — a community that continues 40 years after his death. Silence brought forth the written word akin to a tsunami.
Gordon explores the paradox that is Merton, choosing selections from his writings that give insight into him not only as a monk, but as a writer. We learn that Merton was forever chafing under the strictures of his monastic life, especially the demands placed upon him by his superior to write for an audience that would be drawn to Catholic spirituality. What kind of writer would he be? That is a … [Read more...]

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News from Other Sources ▼

With an increased number of state legislatures passing laws to severely curtail access to abortion, the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is compelled to advocate for …

(RNS) — In 1978, photographer Jim Judkis got a big break.
People magazine asked him to photograph Fred Rogers, the beloved public television host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” which was in its 10th …

(PNS) LOUISVILLE — Thousands of youths from across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church are gearing up for five sweaty days of “conversation, recreation, learning, worship and fun” at …

(PNS) FAIRFIELD, California —
In Ephesians, Chapter 2, the reader is reminded that God is rich in mercy and grace, and people are saved through grace, not by good works. On Friday, the Reverend Cindy Kohlmann, …

(RNS) — The past year has been filled with stories of alleged sexual misconduct and abuse by Protestant Christian pastors.
Bill Hybels retired early from the influential Chicago-area megachurch he founded, Willow …

(RNS) — Nearly a quarter of Canadians today say they have no religious affiliation — about the same as in the U.S. But a forthcoming book by two Canadian researchers says that it is easier to be a “none” in …

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Outpost Blog 5 days ago

We asked our bloggers to share their biggest dreams for the church. Here’s what they imagine. If I could dream anything for the church knowing that the dream would emerge as reality, I would dream of pure hearts and expansive imaginations. From childhood playgrounds to adult boardrooms, not much seems to change. Children hurting children. Adults wounding adults. But, we are made for union — union with one another and with God. When we see ourselves connected with everyone and everything else, we begin to see reality. But we cover…

What's right? 5 days ago

Church of the Covenant — Arlington, Virginia What’s right about Church of the Covenant? We’ve got rhythm. The church’s children’s drum ensemble and adult choir led worship together during our first-ever Kids Music Sunday on March 3. Our intergenerational worship leaders taught the congregation a special handshake to help pass the peace, added percussion to our hymns and performed a joint anthem together. And the music isn’t stopping anytime soon! We’re passionate about finding new ways to keep God’s rhythm together and to use that music to get to know…

Outpost Blog 1 week ago

I noticed early on that when pastors get together, one of two things tends to happen. Either everybody gets into a contest about how “my church is better than yours” – or, somehow, everyone gets into a contest about how “my job is worsethan yours!” It boggles my mind, but I’ve seen it happen over and over again – and even succumbed to the temptation myself. Isn’t it strange how we get into arguments over who has it worse? I don’t want to win the contest of “who has the…

Book Reviews 1 week ago

Shane Claiborne and Michael Martin Brazos Press, 288 pages Reviewed by David Ensign The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church offered its first advice to the church and the culture about gun violence in America in 1968, calling for control of the sale and possession of fire arms of all kinds. Some 50 years later, the church keeps speaking, but it cannot be heard above the cracks of gunfire and the wails of lamentation. That sad state of affairs left me with slim hope that I would encounter anything new…